Finding Dory Inspired Tissue Paper Pom Fish

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Summertime means birthday party time in our house. Both my girls and I have summer birthdays. And, boy, do I love to put together a good birthday party! We just finished celebrating Ava’s birthday with a fabulous Trolls themed party and now it is Madeleine’s turn. Madeleine has been all about Nemo and Dory for quite some time so it was no surprise when she chose a Finding Dory inspired party this year. I have teamed up with my friends at American Greetings and Meijer to bring you a fun and easy DIY birthday party decoration tutorial. Are you ready to learn how to make your own Finding Dory Inspired Tissue Paper Pom Fish? Here we go:

Supplies

Dark blue tissue paper – 6-10 sheets depending on how full you want your fish to be

Yellow tissue paper – 1 sheet for fins

String or baker’s twine

Cardstock or construction paper in white, purple and black

Scissors

Glue stick

Tape

Instructions

Gather your materials and find a flat work surface. Begin by placing your dark blue tissue paper in a stack in front of you. I used 6 sheets of tissue paper for the fish in the photos. I cut my stack of tissue paper in half the long way and was able to make two medium sized fish out of 1 standard sized package of tissue paper from American Greetings. The more sheets of tissue paper that you use, the fuller your tissue pom will be. Meijer has an amazing selection of tissue paper in a rainbow of colors. It is easy to find just the right color for any project and it is inexpensive to purchase. You can even find the instructions on how to make a tissue pom right on the back of the package of American Greetings tissue paper!

Once you have your tissue paper stacked and cut to size, it is time to begin folding. Starting at the narrow end, fold the tissue paper back and forth like an accordion until you have one rectangular strip of folded tissue paper.

Next, bend the strip in half matching it up end to end. Using a piece of string, yarn or baker’s twine, tie a knot tightly around the half way point (the fold).

Using your scissors, round off both ends of the tissue paper strip.

Once you have rounded off both ends of the tissue paper strip, begin to gently pull apart the layers of tissue paper. As you carefully work each sheet open, you will see the shape of your tissue pom begin to form.

Continue to gently separate all the sheets of tissue and carefully fluff the pom into shape.

Once you are satisfied with the shape of your tissue pom, it is time to add the details.

To add the fins, cut a sheet of yellow tissue paper into 4 sections. Fold one section in half and then twist one end together. Stick the twisted end down into one side of the tissue pom and attach with a small piece of tape. Fluff up the fin until you like how it looks. Repeat on the other side.

For the eyes, I cut white, purple and black circles out of cardstock in varying sizes. Using my glue stick, I first attached the purple circle to the larger white circle and then added the black circle to create the pupil. I have a set of circular cookie cutters that I trace whenever I need circles for craft projects. Look around your house for different size cups or caps that you could trace. I secured the two eyes together with a piece of tape across the back and then attached them to the tissue paper pom using another piece of tape.

Finally, I added a simple mouth cut freehand from black cardstock. I attached a small rectangle of white for her teeth which really made her come to life. And that’s it! A fun Finding Dory inspired tissue paper pom fish! Perfect to hang at your party or to sit on the table as part of a display.

I had so much fun working with American Greetings and Meijer on this project. Meijer carries an amazing variety of American Greetings cards and products. The selection of children’s birthday cards is phenomenal. You are sure to find the perfect birthday card for any child. From bright vibrant colors to sparkles and glitter to licensed characters, there is something for everyone. This Finding Dory card even has a fun keepsake magnet inside it!

Madeleine and I were equally impressed with the selection of American Greetings party supplies at Meijer. From plates and napkins to banners and gift wrap to party blowers, stickers and bubbles, we found everything we needed to throw a fabulous Finding Dory inspired party.

I even made the gift wrap coordinate with the party theme. I loved the aqua blue puff bows as they reminded me of something you might find in the ocean. I also added a Finding Dory sticker to the small card on the gift bag to pull the theme together. A few touches of orange tissue paper and the look was complete. Super cute and I can use the beautiful wrapping paper for other events in the future. I will also put the extra sheets of stickers in the party favor bags.

And, of course, no trip to Meijer is complete without a ride on the “penny pony”. Madeleine has finally gotten brave enough to ride it without holding on to me. I remember doing this when I was little! So fun!

I hope you have fun with this easy birthday party project and that it adds more color and joy to your Finding Dory inspired party. I would love to hear or see your Finding Dory inspired party ideas in the comment section or by email. Be sure to check out American Greetings cards and products when planning your next children’s birthday party. You won’t be disappointed. Happy crafting, my friends! Xoxo, -Cristina

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About Me

Thank you for visiting Ava’s Alphabet. My name is Cristina Stauffer and I am a busy mom of two little girls. I am an everyday mom who is juggling the demands of parenting, nurturing a healthy marriage, managing a household and working outside the home part time. I love all kinds of crafts and projects – everything from cooking and baking to sewing and knitting to party planning. Through this blog, I hope to share with you fun and easy tips, ideas and inspiration to bring more joy and creativity into your days. I hope you will join me on this adventure!

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